Aero lighthouse



J. F. HUTCHINSON.

AERO LIGHTHOUSE.

APPLICATION FlLEDJuNE14,192o.

Patented Jan. 31, 1922.

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J. F. HUTCHINSON.

`AERO LIGHTHOUSE.

APPLICATION FILED IuNE I4. Iszo.

Patented Jan. 31, 1922..

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james F' Hunhinnn.

J. F. HUTCHINSON. AERO LIGHTHOUSE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE I4l 1920- Patented Jan. 31, 1922.

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AER() LIGHTHOUSE.

APPLICATION F1LED1uNE14.19zo.

1,404,962, Patented 1111.311922.

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E195 f fw UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES F. HUTCHINSON,

0F COZAD, NEBRASKA.

AERO LIGHTHOUSE.

To all zii/1,0m t may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES F. HU'reHIN- soN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Cozad, in the county of Dawson and State ofNebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in AeroLighthouses, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to light houses, and the primary object of theinvention is to provide an improved device for Ylacilitating the landingand arising of air craft at night time from aviation fields, and therebyeliminate the inconveniences generally associated therewith.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved light housefor aviation fields for effectively illuminating the fields so as topermit of night flying, the light house also being in the nature of asignal light, whereby aviators can readily locate the dying fields.

A further object of theinvention is the provision of an improved. signaltower or light house for aviators, which will signal out atpredetermined times through the medium of telegraphic code lightflashes, the name of the aviation field, thereby permitting aviators toreadily determine their location during night flying, means also beingprovided for permitting messages to be sent. to aviators in the airthrough the medium of the light flashes and a telegraphic key.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved means forautomatically maintaining the projection of' illuminating light rayscross wise to the wind, thereby permitting the easy landing of aircraftwithout the projecting of light into the aviators eyes.

lith these and other objects in view, the invention consists .in thenovel construction. arrangement and formation of parts as will behereinafter more specitically described, claimed and illustrated intheaccompanying dra-wings, in which drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevation of the improved signal tower or light house.

Figure i2 is a vertical section through the same.

Figure 8 is a top plan view of the improved light house.

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the signal tower or light house showingthe upper portion thereof removed.A

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical seetion through a. portionof the signal Speceaton of Letters Eatent.

Patented Jan. 31, 1922.

1920. Serial No. 388,94?.

tower or light house, illustrating the means for connecting the windvane with the illuminating reflector, for maintaining said reflector ata position transversely to the direction of the wind.

Figure 6 is: an enlarged vertical section through. the signal boxlocated in the tower, which is employed for regulating the malring andbreaking of the circuit to the beacon light so that messages can beflashed out therefrom.

Figure 7 is a horizontal section taken on. the line 7 7 of' Figure G.

Figure 8 is a plan view of the contact earrying plate utilized forregulating the charaeter of the message to be flashed out.

Figure 9 is a plan view of the rotary plate carried by the rotary timingshaft, which is adapted to engage the contacts carried by the plateillustrated lin Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a detail view of one of the contact. members carried by theplate illustrated in Figure S, and

Figure 11 is a diagrammatic view of the wiring circuit for theilluminating lights and the beacon lights.

Referring to the drawings in detail. wherein similar referencecharacters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,the letter A generally indicates the improved signal tower or aero lighthouse which includes the foundation 10, the body 11, the fieldilluminating section 12 and the beacon light section 13.

The foundation 10 includes a flat base plate 14e upon which the body 11of the tower is adapted to be anchored The bot y 11 is preferably formedoctagonal shaped in cross section and is built up of any preferredmaterial. The upper edge thereof is braced by a suitable rim 15 whichcan be formed of angle or channel iron if so desired.

The field illuminating section 12 is also formed octagonal shape-d incross section so that the field can be illuminated during all of thepositions or" the illuminating means 1G, which will be hereinafter morefully described. The walls of the ield illuminating section 12 arepreferably formed of transparent plates such as glass and the same aredesignated by the numeral. 17. The glass plates are positioned on thevupper surface of' the rim l5 and are held in place by corner posts 18which are preferably formed with their opposite faces provided with'adapted to shine through the same.

flanges for the reception of the plates. The upper surface of the fieldilluminating sections are further braced by a rim 19 lwhich can be made,if so desired, of angle or channel iron. The provision 0f the rims 15and 19 and the corner post 18 form a rigid construction which absolutelyprecludes movement or displacement of the transparent walls 17. By thisconstruction, it can be seen that an intermediate section is providedwhich is wholly constructed of transparent material, whereby the fieldilluminating means 16 can be seen at all angles. The upper channel rim19 supports a plate 2O which forms the flooring for the beacon lightsection 13. The beacon light section 13 includes the top pyramidalshaped section 21 and the lower frusto octagonal shaped section 22. 'Thesides of the section 22 are provided with bracing posts or strips 23 andthe opposite side of the section is provided with transparencies 24,through which the side beacon lights 25 are adapted to shine. The wallsof the upper pyrainidal sections are alsov formed of transparent plates26 and the central beacon light 27 s T e Y upper end of the corner postsor strips 23 the horizontal so that the beams thereof will be projectedoutwardly and upwardly. The central beacon light 27 can also be of anypreferred shape and construction and is supported in position by meansof alcentral bracket 30 or in any preferred manner to the vfloor orplate 20. This light is so positioned that the beams therefrom will beprojected directly upwardly and thus it can be seen that the beaconlights can be seen by an aeroplane or other aircraft approaching fromany direction.

The field illuminating means 16 consists of a pair of verticallydisposed substantially parabolic reflectors 31, and these reflectors 31are positioned back to back so that the rays from the electric lamps 32will be projected in opposite directions. These oppositely disposedreflectors 31 are secured in any preferred manner to a frame 33 which iscarried by a central rotatable shaft 34. The lower end of the shaft 34has keyed or otherwise secured thereto a depending bearing cap 35 whichis adapted to engage bearings 36 carried by the cup 37. The bearing cup37 is held in any preferred adjusted position by means of a nut 38 whichis threaded on the shank 39 of the cup 37.- The shank 39 is slidablymounted in a bracket 40 carried by the base plate 14. The nut 38 restson the upper surface of the bracket 40 and it can be seen that byadjusting the nut the cup can be raised or lowered. The upper end of theshaft 34 is provided with a clutch face 41 which is adapted to engagethe clutch head 42 carried by the shaft 43, which is driven by meanswhich will be hereinafter more fully described. The frame 33 whichsupports the reflectors 31 for movement with the shaft 34 carries a pairof spaced brushes 44 which are adapted to frictionally engageV the lowersurface of a pair of spaced concentrically arranged annular electricalconducting strips 45. These strips 45 are carried by the lower surfaceof an insulating plate 46, which is held in position in axial relationt0 the shaft 34 by means of depending brackets 47.

A plurality of electric lamps 32 are carried by each of the reflectors31 so that a relatively strong brilliant light will be obtained foreffectively illuminating the field. The electric lamps 32 are connectedin series and the brushes 44, are in circuit therewith and it can beseen that as the shaft 34 rotates the brushes 44 will engage the contactstrips 45 which are connected to a suitable source of electrical energy,as will be hereinafter more fully described. Thus it can be seen thatthe lamps 32 are illuminated at allv times during the rotation of theshaft 34.

The reflectors 31 are mounted for rotation in the field illuminatinghousing section 12 so that the beams from the reflectors 31 will beprojected at right angles to the direction in which the wind is blowing.This provision is made so that the light will not be projectedinto theeyes of an aviator during the landing or arising of a machine, as in theflying, machines alight or rise with the wind.

An automatic means 48 is provided, for normally positioning thereflectors so that the light beams projected therefrom will be at rightangles to the direction of the wind and this means includes a wind vane49 which as shown is in the shape of an arrow and is secured in anypreferred manner to a vertically disposed shaft 50. This shaft 5() ismounted in Suitable bearings 51 carried by the corner posts 23 of thebeacon light sec-v tion 13. The lower end of the shaft 50 projects intothe beacon light section 13 and the lower end of this shaft 50 isprovided 'with a clutch head 52 which is adapted to which are bolted orotherwise secured as at Y adjustably support the bearing cones 59,y

which are disposed in opposite relation to jects into a casing eachother. These bearing cones 59 support suitable rollers or the like andare adapted to engage-the conical collars 60 secured to the shaft 54.The shaft 54 adjacent to the cones 60 is provided with annular flanges6l which limit the movement of the conical collars thereon. Theprovision of these conical collars 60 and the conical bearings 59A fornian effective means for supporting the shaft 54 and these conicalbearings 59 can be adjusted for adjustingthe shaft 54 in the casing. Theupper end of the conical bearings 59 are provided with lugs 62 whichforni means for adjusting the bearings and after the same have beenadjusted to their preferred positions,1suitable set screws 63 arethreaded into the casing between the lugs so as to prevent turningmovement of the same. i

To prevent the entrance of dirt or the like into the casing, flexiblegaskets 64 are carried by the upper end of the casing 65 andfrictionally engagevthe shaft 54. The shaft 54 is also provided withadjusting` nuts 65 which have a lock washer interposed between the sameso as to prevent accidental turning thereof. These lock nuts are adaptedto engage a sleeve 66' which bears against the upper surface of theupper conical collar 60. This also forms means for adjustingthe-position of the collar on the shaft 54 and holds the saine' againstthe flange 6l. The lower end of t-he shaft 54 has keyed or otherwisesecured thereto a relativelysinall gear wheel 67 which meshes with arelatively large gear wheel 68 which is keyed or otherwise secured to atransversely extending shaft G9. The opposite sides of the bevelled gear68 is provided with outwardly extending substantially conical hubs 79,which rest upon suitable roller bearings carried by the conical bearingcaps 71, which are adjustably mounted in boxes 72 carried by the sidewalls of the casing 55. These bearings 70 carry closing plugs 73. Theshaft 69 pro- 74, which is bolted or otherwise secured to the flooringor plate 20 and this casing is constructedl identically' the sanie asthe casing 65 and projects downwardly from the flooring as shown. Theshaft 69 is operatively connected to the shaft 43 which projects intothe casing 74 in the same manner as the shaft 54 with the shaft 69.

From the foregoing it can be seen that whenk the wind vane 49 is turnedby the wind. the shaft 34 will be turned therewith,

thereby carrying the reflectors 3l to their correct positions in regardsto the direction in which the wind. is blowing. The bearings for theshafts 43, 69 and 64 are suitably lubricated. by oil or greaseintroduced through the holes 76. which are closed by the removable plugs77.

The beacon lights 25 and 27 are also connected in series and are adaptedto be intermittently lit so that signals can be sent through theintermittent flashing thereof. An automatic circuit maker and breaker 77is provided and this device arranged at any convenient point in thetower. As shown the improved circuit maker and breaker includes a casing78 in which a speed reducing mechanism 79 is mounted for driving thedriven shaft 8O at a comparatively low rate of sjeed over the drivingshaft 8l of the electric motor which is provided for operating thesaine. The shaft 80 carries a plate S3 which is provided atdianietrically opposite points with outwardly extending ears S4. Thisplate 93 is positioned in a protecting housing S5, the cover of whichcarries a pair of depending brushes 86, which frictionally engage theupper surface of a pair of spaced coucentrically arranged electricconducting rings S7. The brushes r are normally held in engagement D0with the rings by suitable expansion springs 8S. The conducting rings S7are held in position by means of the insulating plate 83 which alsocarries depending brushes 9() and 9i. These brushes 9() and 9i areadapted to engage the upper surface of the plate 92 which fernis meansby which the flashing of the beacon light may be controlled. This plateis preferably formed of insulating material and is n'rounted in anypreferred manner to the upper surface of the bottom wall 93 of thecasing' S5. The outer periphery of the plate 92 is adapted to havesecured thereto in any preferred manner the insulating plugs 94 and theelectric conducting plugs 95. Y These plugs are freely removable fromthe plate 92 and form the means whereby the length of the flashes fromthe beacon lights may be controlled. By making` the conducting plugs 95shorter or longer the dot and dash ash can be made. By arranging the dotand dash plug according to any preferred code. any naine or signal canbe flashed and thc plugs are preferably arranged so as to spell out thename of the aviation field so that the aviators can readily determinetheir location at night. The shaft 8O is rotated at a relatively low'rate of speed so that the signals are flashed comparatively slow sothat an aviator will have plenty of time to read the same. A relativelylong plus` of nonconducting material 96 is pro vided,y between thebeginning and end of the word being flashed, so that the aviators cantell when to begin to read the signal. As shown in the detailed view inFigure 19,- the conducting plugs 95 are slightly tapered so as toconform to the configuration of the plate 92. The plugs 94 and 95 areheld in position on the periphery of the plate 92 by means of a splitconducting ring 97 which forms the other terminal adapted to be engagedby the brush 99. The split conducting ring 97 has one end of the sameprovided with a threaded shank 99 which is adapted to protrude throughan eye 100 carried by the opposite end of the ring and a nut 101 isthreaded on the shank and is adapted to engage the eye so as to bringthe terminals of the split ring together. As shown the brush 91 isadapted to ride over the upper surfaces oi the plugs 94 and 95 while thebrush 90 is adapted to engage the conducting ring 97. v

By referring to Figure 11, the method of wiring the apparatus can bereadily seen. The source of power is designated by the numeral 102 andthis can be a generator, a storage battery, dry cells, or the like. Theterminals of the source of electrical supply is provided with a pair otlead wires 103 and 104.` These wires have connected thereto respectivelythe lead wires 105 and 106, which lead to the lamps 32 olif the fieldilluminating means. A suitable switch 107 is interposed in the wire 105,whereby a circuit to the lamps 32 may be manually closed or opened. Thewire 104 is extended to one terminal of the motor 82, while the wire 103is extended to the othe-r terminal and the wire 104 has interposedtherein a manually operated switch 108, thereby the circuit -to themotor may be controlled. The wire 103 has electrically connected theretoa branch wire 109 which extends to one of the brushes 86. The otherbrush 86 has connected thereto a wire 110, which leads to the beaconlights 25 and 27 respectively. A suitable hand operated switch 111 isinterposed therein whereby the circuit may be manually opened andclosed. The wire 104 has also connected thereto a branch wire A112,which leads to the other contact ot the lamps 25 and 27. A branch wire113 is also connected to the wire `103 and this wire leads to oneterminal cfa telegraph key 114. The opposite terminal ot the telegraphkey has connected thereto a wire 115 which leads to the branch wire 110.An

electric switch 116 is interposed in the wirev 115 whereby the circuitthrough the telegraph key 114 may be manually opened and closed. When itis desired totlash a signal message by the beacon light, the switch 108isopened so as to open the circuit of the motor 82. This will lstop theoperation of the plate 83 and by pressing the key 114 the desiredmessage can be readily flashed.

From the foregoing description it can be seen that an improved tower hasbeen provided which is especially adapted ttor an aeronautical field,and which will considerably` facilitate .night flying of all kinds ofair craft. 7

Changes in details-may be'made without departing-from the spirit oryscope of this invention; but,

I claim 1. In an aero light house, a tower having transparent walls, apair of oppositely disposed relectors arranged back to back in saidtower, lamps carried by the reflectors, a wind vane, and meansoperatively connecting. the wind vane with the reflectors, so that uponmovement of saidv wind vane the re-l flectors will be turned therewithin said tower. l

2. In an aero light house,y a shalft, a pair of reflectors. carried bythe sha'l't arranged back to back, lamps carried by the reflectors,

a rotatable wind vane, and means connect-l ing the rotatable wind vanewith the rotatable shaft. i

3. In an aero light house, a tower, including a lower illuminating lightsection, and an upper beacon light section, a shaft rotatably mountedinthe illuminating lightv section, a pair of reflectors carried by theopposite sides of the shafts, lamps `carried by the reflectors,zig-.weather vane rotatably carried by the tower, means operativelyconnecting'the weathervane and the rotatable shaft, and means lforflashing relatively long and relatively short flashes from the beaconlights.-

4. In an aero light house, a circuit making and breaking deviceincluding an insulating plate, a plurality of insulating v plugsandiconducting plugs detachably carried by the periphery of theinsulating plate, and a conducting ring arranged.V to surround said`plugs to contact and to hold the same against.

accidental displacement.

5. In an aero lightI house, a circuit making and breaking deviceincluding a -stationary plate, a plurality of radially extendingdetachable conducting and non-conducting plugs, a split electricalconducting' ring arranged to surroundsaid plugs and hold the same inposition against accidental displacement, means lor adjustablyconnectingV JAMES F. IIUTGHINSON.

